IBENO ATTACKS EKID COMMUNITY-Houses destroyed, scores wounded

 IBENO ATTACKS EKID COMMUNITY

       - Houses destroyed, scores wounded.

By Assam Abia. 

Iko Nsung village, a community of fishermen and farmers, in Esit Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State was on Tuesday attacked by some youths from Ibeno Local Government Area with scores of people injured and houses destroyed. 

An eye witness, Mr Ikpam Peter, who lives in the village narrates that trouble started last week when on returning from fishing expedition at sea, some houses where torched by people suspected to come from Ibeno. 

"We reported the incident to our local government chairman, Hon Iniobong Robson. The chairman, in company of the Divisional Police officers of Eket and Esit Eket visited the area on Tuesday October 26, 2021 and saw the damages caused by the aggressors",

"As the chairman and the DPOs left the community, that same day in the evening, over fifty youths from Ibeno invaded us again and dealt matchet cuts on several people and destroyed our houses", Mr Ikpam said, sobbing.

He said further that they were homeless and that their means of livelihood has been destroyed by the invaders while calling on Government and the law enforcement agencies to come to their aid. 

When contacted, the executive chairman of Esit Eket Local Government Area, Rt Hon Iniobong Robson confirmed the incident and maintained that he visited the community on Tuesday after receiving a destress call from some residents of the area. 

"I went there with the DPOs of Eket and Esit Eket. We took stock of the damages and left but surprisingly, i was informed that another attack took place some few hours after we left", Hon Robson said.

Meanwhile, tension is building up between Esit Eket, Eket and Ibeno local government areas as the affected community is mostly inhabited by Eket and Esit Eket indigenes but Hon Iniobong Robson has called on the people of Eket and Esit Eket to remain calm while security agencies investigate the issue.

The recent attack, according to observers is "a clear case of land grabbing despite the magnanimity shown to Ibeno by the Ekid Nation", said a youth leader from Edo village.